As Manatee County and the Florida Department of Transportation prepare for the replacement of the Cortez Bridge, utility work and road closures are impacting communities just east of the bridge.
Manatee County strategic affairs manager Ogden Clark confirmed Feb. 11 that 127th Street West, a thoroughfare connecting Cortez Road West to communities such as Cove Sound Yacht Club, Mariner’s Cove, Smuggler’s Landing and Harbour Isle Estates, will close late this month or in early March. The closure is scheduled to last until late spring.
A contract for the $8.8 million Intracoastal Watermain project was awarded to DBE Utility Services of Loxahatchee in July 2024 and involves the relocation of sub-aqueous water mains between the mainland and Anna Maria Island along Cortez Road West.
Clark said message boards will be posted before the road closure and the county launched an outreach campaign to keep people informed.
The county’s water and sewer utility-crossing project must be completed before the bridge replacement can commence.
The county has confirmed that its utility work will stay within the right of way, avoiding any easement disputes.
Cortez Bridge
The Cortez Bridge replacement project, estimated to cost $77 million, involves replacing the 17-foot clearance bascule drawbridge built in 1956. The new structure would feature a 65-foot fixed span, eliminating the need for a bridgetender and movable parts and reducing long-term maintenance costs, according to the DOT, which asserts that the larger bridge will ease wait times for motorists and boaters.
Most recently, the DOT scheduled the bid advertisement for the replacement bridge for Feb. 25, 2026, with construction beginning in mid-2026.
To minimize disruptions, the county and DOT are coordinating efforts to ensure that only one major bridge to Anna Maria Island is under construction at a time. There are three bridges that connect to Anna Maria Island — on Cortez Road between Cortez and Bradenton Beach, on Manatee Avenue between Perico Island and Holmes Beach and on Gulf Drive between Bradenton Beach and Longboat Key.
Clark said the plan is to construct the new Cortez Bridge and then the Anna Maria Island Bridge will begin with funding in fiscal year 2029.
Clark said concerns over congestion remain a priority and county officials are working closely with the DOT and the city of Bradenton Beach to mitigate peak-hour delays.
Meanwhile, the county is moving forward with a separate utility project for the Manatee Avenue bridge and is currently in the bidding phase.
“We anticipate utility construction to start around mid-2025, later this year,” Clark wrote in a Feb. 11 email to The Islander. “FDOT’s Anna Maria Bridge Replacement project is on hold at 90% design. It will be finalized closer to construction, funded in Fiscal Year 2029 (July 1, 2028 – June 30, 2029).”
For more information on the Cortez Bridge and related projects, people can contact the District 1 DOT office at 800-292-3368.